The images were different. They were pen and ink drawings, black silhouettes or very colorful and fancy drawings, but it was clear that they were images of the same bird—the Sankofa bird. The feet faced forward, the head was turned backward, and it held a small ball in its beak. The Sankofa bird has direct […]
When I read a children’s picture book Hooway for Wodney Wat by Helen Lester, it reminded me of my own story. My sister Ruby remembers that day, but I don’t. So, in order to tell my story, I must rely on her memory. The McKinnon School in Wyoming was a four-room schoolhouse. First, second and
I am excited to have been part of the Author Showcase Panel at Surry International Writing Contest this weekend. As a member of the panel, I was given 2 ½ minutes to talk about my books. The Maryalise Trilogy is middle-grade fantasy. Maryalise is a young fairy with powerful magic. In book one, Maryalise and
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I watched my daughter practice juggling. One ball, then two, then three balls were sent flying into the air. As gravity pulled each ball down, she caught it and sent it flying again. How did she learn to do that? I can barely manage to throw and catch one ball. My life is like juggling
I played hooky one morning. Instead of turning on my computer at my appointed writing time, I decided to go for a walk. I stood on my front porch and considered where to walk. An asphalt path between sheltering trees at the end of our street looked inviting. That path had changed in the years
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There was a time—before Covid, before nine-eleven—when planes were being hijacked and forced to land in an unknown destination. The frequency with which planes were being hijacked was alarming but not of immediate concern to my family. We were involved in trying to find ways to cope with the hot California summer. When temperatures soared
A drabble is a short work of fiction of precisely one hundred words in length. The purpose of the drabble is brevity, testing the author’s ability to express interesting and meaningful ideas in a confined space. Writing a drabble requires precise editing skills—refining the story by taking out what is not essential and leaving only
A little owl wakes up in the daytime and he is wowed by all that he sees—the yellow sun, blue sky, orange flowers, red butterflies, green leaves. Wow Said the Owl* is a charming picture book about colors and discovery. I began to remember “Wow!” moments in my life. One rainy morning I dropped my
I am currently writing a middle-grade historical fiction novel. The setting is Vernal, Utah, in 1917. One of the characters in this book is Josie Bassett. She grew up in Brown’s Hole at a time when outlaws were using it as a hideout. (Brown’s Hole is located about 50 miles from Vernal.) Butch Cassidy and
When I returned from my vacation, I found two rock ladybugs sitting on my doorstep. They didn’t look exactly like the rocks I paint. Some child or beginning artist had painted them and placed them on my doorstep. I smiled. The multitude of painted ladybug rocks in my yard was obviously attracting more ladybugs. I
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